We understand that, as educators, you have very limited time. Our goals is to make the Open Circle program a useful, powerful tool for you and your students. Below are links and information sheets about Open Circle that we hope you find helpful.

Teacher training materials and references (PDF):

• New Curriculum Order Form - for past trainees only
• Bullying Prevention
• Helping Children Deal with Traumatic Events
• Best Practices for Open Circle
• Reinforcing Open Circle Throughout Your School
• Alignment to Common Core State Standards

Graduate credit opportunities:

• Core Program FSU Graduate Credit Syllabus (PDF)
• Core Program FSU Graduate Credit Activity Documentation Worksheet (Word)
  

Information you can share with parents:

• Home Links - letters for parents (website link)
• Home Links Welcome Lettter & Vocabulary used in Open Circle, in eight languages (PDF)
• Children's Literature - suggested reading (website link)

For teachers in Massachusetts:

• Links to Massachusetts Curriculum Framework

More about the Open Circle Curriculum

The core of the program is the Open Circle Curriculum for Kindergarten through grade 5, which integrates research findings in child development with the best teaching practices. The curriculum’s holistic approach involves training the adult role-models in a child’s life to teach and embody principles of communication, responsibility, cooperation, respect and assertiveness. These principles are essential for helping children foster healthy relationships, become engaged, thoughtful citizens, and enjoy productive, fulfilling lives.
The Open Circle Curriculum presents a consistent set of skills and concepts across all grades, and these essential skills and concepts are explored in greater depth and reinforced as students proceed from year to year, building a common vocabulary that is shared by the entire school community.

In addition to the core lessons, the Open Circle Curriculum includes supplementary lessons and resources for teachers, and Open Circle Update letters that teachers can adapt and send home. Homework and literature suggestions are included along with visuals that can be used in the classroom.

From the foundation of this carefully developed and proven classroom curriculum, the program expands outward to engage and train administrators and caregivers, as well as teachers and students. In this comprehensive mode, entire schools become communities in which all participants - children and adults alike - work together to resolve conflicts and to build relationships in ways that mirror how our society should function at its very best.

Sample Curriculum Lessons:

• Nonverbal Signals (Grade 1)
• Being Calm (Grade 3)
• Tattling Versus Telling (Grades 4 & 5)